What steps should family or advocates take to locate and help someone detained by ICE?
Executive summary
Locate first, mobilize legal help second: family and advocates should search ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) using a full name or A-number, and if that fails immediately contact the local ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office or the national detention reporting lines for human confirmation [1] [2] [3]. While ICE emphasizes that everyone in its custody is accounted for and directs people to the ODLS or field offices, advocates should also prepare for delays, use rapid-response legal hotlines, and collect identifying information and documents that will speed up locating and representing the detainee [4] [5] [6].
1. Start with the official online search, and know what to enter
Use ICE’s ODLS/Online Detainee Locator System first — it is designed to let family, attorneys, and the public search 24/7 by full name or the 8–9 digit A-number that appears on DHS or EOIR correspondence [2] [1]. The ODLS can show current custody and releases within about 60 days, but systems sometimes lag; Legal Aid and other advocates warn it can take a couple of days after an arrest for the database to reflect a transfer or intake [5] [3].
2. If the ODLS doesn’t show the person, call ERO and detention reporting lines
When the online search comes up empty, contact the appropriate ICE ERO field office as instructed by ICE and consider the ICE ERO Detention Reporting and Information Line (1‑888‑351‑4024) or the EOIR automated court-case phone line for further status information [2] [3]. Freedom for Immigrants and ICE materials both advise calling these numbers as the next step to locate someone who may be newly detained or transferred [3] [2].
3. Collect identifying details and preserve documents that speed help
Confirm and provide the detainee’s full names as listed on immigration documents, any A-number, date of birth, and the arrest date and location if known — Legal Aid and NY-based guides stress that those basic identifiers materially improve the chance of a quick match in databases and with field offices [5]. Keep and share copies of correspondence from DHS/EOIR, because the A-number on those letters is the most direct locator key [1] [5].
4. Call legal organizations, rapid-response hotlines, and get counsel involved
Contact local immigration legal organizations or rapid‑response hotlines immediately; many communities have nonprofit legal hotlines that will help locate detainees, advise on bond eligibility, and connect detainees with counsel [6] [7]. Organizations like the National Immigrant Justice Center and Oasis Legal Services publish rapid-response numbers and “know your rights” guides that recommend legal representation early to pursue bond, representation at hearings, and requests for visitation or legal mail [8] [6] [7].
5. Understand facility logistics: visitation, legal mail, and communication limits
Once a facility is identified, use ICE’s Detention Facility Locator to find visitation hours and rules; legal mail must be labeled and is treated separately, and detainees cannot receive incoming phone calls so advocates should follow facility instructions for leaving urgent messages or using tablets where available [9]. ICE’s detention management materials also note that facilities must follow detention standards and that some communications depend on facility systems and contractor rules [10] [9].
6. Be pragmatic about timelines, alternatives, and what ICE says publicly
Expect administrative friction: ICE and its public pages insist detainees are accounted for via ODLS or field offices, and ICE defends detainers as resource-saving; at the same time advocates document delays, limited access, and the need for lawyers to secure bond or challenge detainers — both narratives shape what steps are possible and why multiple channels (ODLS, field office, legal hotlines) matter [4] [11] [3]. Where reporting and agency materials do not provide specifics — for example, precise update lags at every facility or the success rates for bond motions — those unknowns remain and require case-by-case legal follow-up [5].